This report summarizes that portion of the research dealing with pedestrian signal displays and operation which was completed in Phase II of the three-phase project on urban intersection improvements for pedestrian safety. Three evaluation studies were conducted. The first study was a controlled experiment to determine what differences existed between 'lunar' and 'clear' white WALK lenses in pedestrian signals. The findings indicated that 'clear' white had better target value, but that 'lunar' white was more readable for three of the four lighting conditions tested. The second study consisted of three experiments, two of which dealt with the clearance interval display, while the third evaluated flashing versus steady WALK. Of the two clearance displays tested, i.e., steady DONT WALK and steady DONT START, neither showed a significant improvement over the standard flashing DONT WALK clearance indication. Flashing WALK was found not to be effective as a means of warning pedestrians of turning vehicles. The third study evaluated the concept of using symbolic pedestrian displays in place of the current word message display. The hand-walking man symbol was found to show a significant improvement over the standard WALK-DONT WALK display. Orange and white were found to be better colors for pedestrian signal indications than red and green.
Urban Intersection Improvements for Pedestrian Safety. Volume IV. Pedestrian Signal Displays and Operation
1977
172 pages
Report
No indication
English
Road Transportation , Transportation Safety , Transportation & Traffic Planning , Transportation , Traffic management , Pedestrians , Intersections , Streets , Vehicular traffic control , Traffic engineering , Traffic safety , Human behavior , Motor vehicle accidents , Crosswalks , Pedestrian vehicle interactions , Pedestrian control signals , Pedestrian behavior